-With everything that is happening, everyone is looking forward to a better year. So when newcomer Christelle Abello was introduced as Ginebra San Miguel’s face of 2021, she understood just what message she wants to bring to people — to inspire and remind everyone to remain optimistic.
“Now that I am the Ginebra San Miguel Calendar Girl 2021, I want to use my platform to really uplift our kababayans. We must remain true to ourselves — matapang, resilient…
Those are just a few traits to describe us Filipino and I believe we just have to continue to be Ganado sa buhay,” she said during the virtual reveal that happened on Tuesday, October 22.
“Dark times will not last forever kaya kapit lang. Siguradong bukas sisikat pa rin ang araw,” added the 26-year old model and Miss Universe-Philippines candidate.
Christelle, who is based in California, is born to Filipino parents. Her father is from Kalibo, Aklan while her mother is from Silang, Cavite. She graduated with a degree in Communication from California State University San Marcos.
While she spent most of her life in the US, Christelle has always been in touch with her Filipino roots. “My mom heavily enforced Filipino culture and values at home. She wanted my sister and I to learn Tagalog, and what better way to learn it than through watching teleseryes and movies. So, I grew up watching KathNiel’s ‘Got to Believe,’ and ‘A Very Special Love’,” shared Christelle, who dreams of starring in her own teleserye or movie.
To prepare for her Ginebra San Miguel calendar girl shoot, Christelle made sure that she was both physically and mentally ready. “I already do a lot of weights and cardio workouts.
I’ve become accustomed to that lifestyle not because I want to look good physically but also because I want to feel good mentally. And I think that’s really important especially at this time,” relates Christelle, who at the start of the pandemic put up a fundraising effort called “Kapit-bisig Tayo” to assist healthcare workers.
Christelle admitted that the never-say-die story of Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach also inspired her to pursue her other dream — to become a beauty queen. “The world of pageantry fascinated me so much because I witnessed phenomenal women and beautiful and confident women like Pia Wurtzbach who made a mark in this world. And they impelled me to say that I can do this too.”
“Back in the day, my dad would tell me stories about [Robert] Jaworski and that even if the team was falling behind in a PBA game, people would still cheer them on and were confident that they will come back strong and win the game because of their never-say-die attitude. I think Barangay Ginebra resonates with Filipinos so well with who we are as people, resilient despite the adversities that come our way,” she recalled.
Christelle, who takes the reins from Kapuso actress Sanya Lopez, feels some pride with how her calendar captures today’s “new normal” in six different layouts. With the theme “Ganado sa Bahay,” the calendars feature her motivated and productive even amid the COVID-19 pandemic — working from home, honing her creativity and discovering new skills, and taking care of her body and well-being.
“More than just a pretty face, our Ginebra San Miguel Calendar Girl for 2021 definitely personifies our latest campaign ‘One Ginebra Nation.’ We were not only charmed by her intelligence, but also by her optimism, her courage, her never-say-die spirit, her heart for others, and love for her kababayan. We feel that she best represents the brand and we are very happy to welcome Christelle to our Ginebra San Miguel family,” related Ginebra San Miguel Inc. (GSMI) Sales and Marketing manager Allan Mercado.
